By now, you are heartsick and tired of looking at the images of 
the horror and devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. 
However, if you are an author and self-publisher, it pays to look 
at this disaster as a wake-up call.

Just for a moment, image that a disaster stuck YOUR home.  What 
would happen to your writing and to your business?  Could you 
keep things going if you had no electricity, no internet 
connection, or no phone service?  How could you continue to sell 
your books, even if you were unable to get online to process 
orders?

There are several important steps all authors and self-publishers 
need to take immediately to ensure that your books and your 
business are protected from natural disasters, fires, and 
unexpected events like plumbing leaks or computer meltdowns.

• Your number one priority should be to create several back-up 
  copies of your manuscript.  You can burn it onto a CD and 
  store it in a safe deposit box.  Send a copy to your mother 
  or friend who lives out of state. Another option would be to 
  consider creating a private blog where you can immediately 
  access your work from any internet connection.  For a free 
  service check out http://www.livejournal where you can set 
  up a totally private blog.  Another option is 
  http://www.blogger.com but blogs there may be accessible 
  via blog rings.

While your printer will have a copy of your manuscript, it will 
be in PDF format so that you will not be able to make any 
changes.  I suggest saving both a PDF and Word document of your 
completed books and a Word document of any works in progress. 
Don’t forget to have a back-up copy of any cover art as well.

• Check your insurance policy to ensure that it covers your 
  inventory of books.  Many homeowners’ policies do not cover 
  inventory for a home based business.  Ask your insurance agent 
  to ensure that the books you have on hand would be protected 
  in case of fire, flooding, or other unforeseen damage.  Keep 
  an up-to-date inventory of books so that you could be 
  compensated in the event that you need to make a claim.

• Back up your computer.  Purchase a back up system or subscribe 
  to an on-line back up service.  Your records of customers, 
  book purchases, and tax information are priceless.  If they 
  were lost, it would cost you countless hours and many dollars 
  to rebuild them. 

• If you do your own shipping, create a back up-plan.  Research 
  fulfillment houses, virtual assistants, and the shipping 
  options that your printer may provide.  In the event that you 
  are unable to ship your books for any reason, you will still 
  be able to serve your customers and generate income if you 
  have a back-up plan in place.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Does reading this article scare me because I know I am not 
   adequately prepared to protect my books and records?

2. What steps could I take today to begin protecting my books 
   and records?

Nobody likes to think about disaster preparedness.  However, 
spending a few hours now following the steps in this article will 
give you the peace of mind that you will be able to continue 
writing and publishing your books no matter what unforeseen event 
may come your way. That peace of mind is worth its weight is 
gold.

After you've taken some steps to secure your manuscripts and your 
publishing business, why not make another donation of time, 
prayers, cash or clothing to help Katrina's survivors?  They will 
be needing our support for a long time as they seek to rebuild 
their lives.

Who knows, you may just find something to write about in the 
process! 

Lynne Klippel is an author, publisher, and book shepherd.  
She’s the creator of Book School, a 9 week teleclass especially 
for coaches, consultants, and speakers who want step-by-step 
information on how to write and self-publish their books.  For 
free publishing information, visit http://www.MyBookSchool.com